The Ameyaw Debrah Personality of 2018

Unlike the previous year that we had Stonebwoy as our personality of the year, this time we have selected a group of individuals, who in their small ways made big impact on people, communities, and industries. Yes, amazing people in various fields from business to technology and showbiz. 

Fuse ODG

UK-based Ghanaian Afro-Pop singer Fuse ODG opened the year on a good note when he won a Grammy Award for his co-writing credits on Ed Sheeran’s ‘Divide’ album, which won the nod for ‘Best Pop Vocal Album‘.

He spent part of the year also advocating on a number of issues including racist advertising. He followed up his 2017 fight against such discriminatory ads (which resulted in Nivea pulling down some of its billboards in Ghana) by launching a black doll brand for black girls to value and love their skin. 

The musician strongly believes, African parents having dolls made to represent their skin colour will ignite the feeling of self-love and ensure their kids appreciate their race while they grow into adults.

According to him, the lack of black dolls indirectly and directly promotes a self-hate agenda where Africans feel they are “not adequate or good enough to be replicated in the least kind of format”.

Fuse ODG in 2018 also launched the This Is New Africa (TINA) Festival, which aims at promoting Afrobeats music and culture, would also serve as a catalyst for boosting tourism and investment in Ghana.

The TINA Festival programs which kick off from January 2019 will feature some of Africa’s leading artists, musicians and thought leaders including H.E. Nana Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana, Political Activist, Samia Nkrumah, BBC Broadcaster, Reggie Yates, Actress/Producer, Ama K Abebrese,Media Personality and Entrepreneur, Bola Ray, and musicians Sarkodie, SteffLondon, Joey B, and Lethal Bizzle.

Jeffrey Kwabena Yeboah

Jeffrey Kwabena Yeboah, a final year student of the University Of Ghana, Legon  left many stunned after transforming used tyres into beautiful household furniture.

His Ripples Interior Décor business is an Eco-entrepreneurship business of making stunning interior and exterior decor pieces out of recycled car tyres. From center tables, coffee tables and more, Jeffery is helping fight against climate change and showcasing how Made In Ghana products can compete on the international market.

Sophia Safia Sulemana

Sophia Safia Sulemana is a midwife at the Kunkwa Health Centre who helped a pregnant woman successfully deliver her baby while on board a bus. Sophia Safia Sulemana was on board an Accra-Bolgatanga bus when the pregnant woman complained of feeling pains. Upon realizing that the woman was due for delivery, Ms. Sulemana used all her experience to ensure that both baby and mother came through safely. 

A tale of a modern-day Superwoman is told of how Sophia improvised, using polythene bags as gloves to receive the baby, and got a razor blade from a passenger to cut the umbilical cord of the baby. She  also pulled out a string from a sack to tie the cord. She was subsequently honoured by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana (N&MC), for her heroic act.

Dr Ashitey Trebi-Ollennu

Ghanaian engineer Dr Ashitey Trebi-Ollennu was widely praised for his role in building NASA’s latest spacecraft to land on Mars. The New York Times reported that the spacecraft is expected to study the Mars’ underworld, listening for mars quakes and seeking clues about the dusty world’s formation. 

Dr. Trebi-Ollennu is the team lead for InSight at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada Flintridge, California, United States.  The Ghanaian designed the robotic arm, which will dig deep beneath the surface of the planet to see explore how it was formed.

Dr. Samuel Ofori

Chief Superintendent Dr. Samuel Ofori made the headlines in 2018 when he helped save the life of a passenger on board a KLM flight from Amsterdam to Accra. The Ghanaian doctor teamed up with another German doctor, Prof. Manfred Spitznas, to save a lady who collapsed on board the flight. 

The passenger eventually lost consciousness after vomiting, palpitating and sweating – all severe allergic reactions to the gluten in the in-flight dish.

The flight, KL 0589, had been delayed for nearly two hours at Schipol Airport, Amsterdam, due in part to poor weather conditions in Amsterdam. 

Another passenger on the flight had also been bleeding before take off. By the time the passenger who was suffering from bleeding was taken care of and the weather cleared up, passengers had been grounded for nearly three hours on the tarmac.

Richard Akoto Appiah

When Richard Akoto Appiah, a 34-year-old who teaches at Betenase M/A Junior High School in the town of Sekyedomase, posted photos of how he takes his pupils through ICT lessons on Facebook, the photos going viral. 

International media firms like the CNN and BBC featured him, as his story became known across the globe. The teacher was also invited to attend this year’s Microsoft Education Exchange, after which he led a donation of computers and other leaning equipment to the Betenase M/A Junior High School. 

Captain Solomon Quainoo 

Ghanaian pilot, Captain Solomon Quainoo flew the first ever Airbus 380 (the biggest passenger aircraft in the world) to Accra. The Emirate one off flight was part of the official commissioning of the new Terminal 3 at the Kotoka International Airport.

Educated at the Koforidua Secondary Technical and the University of Ghana, his career spans about 14 years with seven and half of it with Emirates Airlines.

Phyllis Ama Tebuah Osei

Chief Superintendent of Police, Mrs. Phyllis Ama Tebuah Osei was awarded by the United Nations Police Division of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations for her commitment and impart in policing. 

According to the UN, her contributions to enhancing the protection of women and girls, as well as her initiatives to promote women rights in the host state police, embody the spirit of the Award and embrace the values of international policing.